"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another. . . We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed . . .That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness . . . But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

The power of BIG CORRUPTION by the FEW, SUPER RICH, BIG MEDIA AND BIG BUSINESS must end. America, it's time to take a stand today! Deceptive arguments, enticements and charismatic speeches have effectively worked to bind liberty and blind a multitude. Our government, that's supposed to serve and protect WE THE PEOPLE has enabled corruption in commerce via the absence of a check and balance on CORRUPTED CAPITALISM that has no limit on GREED. BIG MONEY controls commerce, elections and the mainstream media.

POLITICS AS USUAL AND UNCHECKED, UNREGULATED, DEVIOUS AND DANGERROUS BEHAVIOR BY THE SUPERRICH AND POWERFUL MUST END!

Solving our biggest problems will require an engine overhaul and a recasting of staff to do the work. Leadership of the future must adhere to serving the goodwill of a government as it was intended to be of the people, by the people and for the people.

IF WE THE PEOPLE CONTINUE TO ENABLE THIS DYSFUNTIONAL BEHAVIOR, OUR COUNTRY IS CERTAIN TO COLLAPSE DUE TO SUCH COMPROMISES!

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To the long list of problems linked to income inequality, you can now add another: political gridlock. As illustrated above, the dramatic fall and rise of income inequality over the past century correlates remarkably closely with the level of political polarization in the US House of Representatives.

On its face, this correlation seems incredibly counterintuitive. As a greater share of wealth concentrates in the hands of the top 1 percent of income earners, you'd expect the other 99 percent of Americans to act as a more-unified voting block, electing politicians who'd level the economic playing field.

But that hasn't happened. And nobody really knows why.

The creators of this chart, which accompanied a paper in the most recent issue of the Journal of Economic Perspectives, float a laundry list of explanations: the ideological influence of free market capitalism, falling rates of voter turnout among the poor, higher standards of living, gerrymandering, and the influence of money in politics.

Of course, correlation isn't causation—we can't say whether inequality fuels political polarization or vice versa. The widening ideological chasm in Congress has certainly prevented Washington from correcting the sort of policy mistakes—tax cuts, financial deregulation, "free trade" deals—that continue to enrich the few at the expense of everyone else. The question is whether the further growth of inequality will eventually change that, or, as it has in countries such as Egypt, fuel a politics ever more defined by extremes.

RE: Article by Mother Jones

Mr. Harkinson and MotherJones.com we appreciate this insightful article and your ongoing efforts to expose income inequality in America. To answer your question about why the 99% have yet to rally together to "level the playing field," is that they have yet to have solutions and a site they can rally around to solve income inequality and corruption/division in politics. Also, the media and those whom can make a big difference fail to respond to grassroots efforts like CitizensReUnited. It may take only the courage of one media organization or super wealthy citizen to change the course of history in one fell swoop by publishing a story about CitizensReUnited or pledging their public endorsement and financial support.